Mohave County miner., 1887-08-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.


tFRoa OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Aug. sth. 1887.
II the Democratic party is responsible
for anything it certainly is the gov
eminent of the District Of Columbia and
the city Of Washinston--both being al
most under the direct control OF Mr..
Cleveland himself; yet, this is the only
place in the United States where the peo-
pie have boldly met in public, denounced
these rulers as corrupt and inefficient and
demanded their resignation or removal at
the hands Of the President, as the penalty
for their misgovernment. The city and
District are governed by three Com
missioners, who were appointed by Presi-
dent Cleveland and ever since their ad-
vent to power, affairs have gone from bad
to worse; one Of the Commissioners has
bought $500 horse and other personal
property at public expense; but what has
given greatest dissatisfaction is the ad-
vance in water rates and the discovery
that the water accounts are in confused
condition, giving rise TO the conviction
that there is crookedness in that depart
ment. Then the Commissioners have
promulgated new and unnecessary city
ordinances, the enforcement Of which are
inconveDient and vexatious 10 the citi-
zens, besides, being burdensome to the
poorer class OF people. The charges
against the Commissioners are before the
President and his action il awaited With
much interest,
The scales are beginning TO fall from
the wondering eyes Of the civil-service re-
formers, and many OF these goodly men
now sadly realize that they have been
misguided into believing that the mere
shadow OF reform was its substance.
Mr.. Geo. VIM. Curtis, the Grand Mo.
gul Of the Mugwumps, for moment
shakes of the gloom and grief that en-
shrouds bim, to confess his disappoint-
nient at the untoward result OF his exyeri-
ment with Nast's Democratic tiger, -
yet, like the true devotee that he il. he
still clingsto Clevcland, his fallen idol
With thc conso'ing reflection that il might
have been worse Mr. Curtis finds that
the ciyil-service act applies 10 about a.
0O) oi the lis 900 Federal Offices that
there are some 5000 leading Offices,
with patronage to dispense, and that in
the tweniy-nine months Of Cleveland s
Administration he had appointed $4,000
Democrats in these places-a record that
tells lie own story.
! The bond circular oi Secretary Fair.
child, while harmless Of itself, may we'll
be regarded as storm signal by the f.
nanclal world, chargeable 10 the unsound
fiscal policy OF the Democracy in impo-
tently permitting the accumulation OF the
vas: Treasury surplus, In considering
Mr.. Fairchild's action, and the reasons
he gives therefor, can but conclude tina,
the young Secretary is guileless fnan.
cier who has yet TO cut his eye-teeth.
The Treasury Department reports iol
the month Of July decrease Of 81, ,G63, 74s
In cash on hand, and an increase Of a.,
0i7, ,i3G in the circulation, the former be-
ing chiefly in gold certificates and the
latter in standard silver dollars and Ger
tihcates; there was decrease Ia the cir
cuiation oi national baDk-notes.
Another Treasury scandal IL in the air
something like the Harvey affair, thougl
efforts are being made to cover it up b,
Controller Durham, who denies it. II
state the matter briefly, it appears tina
through tine ignorance or negligence o
the Treasury officials big batch Of Cali
fornia land surveying accounts that were
paid many years ago have been WORKED
over and paid again. When interviewed
upon the frauds, Commissioner Spark,
was decidedly non-committal and hit
manner was such as TO impress one will
the truthfulness of the charge. Full de
tails cannot nov be given. II Is no secre
that the Controller and the Commissions
have long boon at logger-heads officially